The inaugural Port Stephens Cup sailed on the postcard beautiful Grahamstown Dam last weekend could become an annual regional event according to the President of Organizer Sailability Port Stephens Grahme RAYNER.

'The event attracted sailors from eight Sailability clubs as far south as Illawarra with 25 sailors, both abled and disabled, engaged in spirited competition,' said RAYNER. Prizes were presented by the Mayor of Port Stephens, Councillor Craig BAUMANN and Sharon CHAMBERS, President, Williamtown Rotary. Councillor BAUMANN commented that Sailability was one of the great news stories in the region.

Victories went to Tish BROWN in the Access 303 doubles and Jim BROWN in the Access 303 singles, Ralph BRUNSKILL in the Access 2.3 doubles, and Shane ATKINS and Stephen BURNS in the two divisions of the Access 2.3 singles.

Boat Presented

During the ceremony, Ross MITCHELL, head teacher of boat and ship building at Tighes Hill TAFE, presented an eight foot student built fibreglass dinghy to Sailability. President RAYNER also made a point of praising the 15 strong volunteer team, especially the crew from RAAF Williamtown for their support at the pontoon.

Sailing was conducted over the weekend in conditions that varied from gusty winds up to 20 knots, down to very light breezes. The clubhouse at Grahamstown Dam was built by Port Stephens Council in the mid 1980s, and the facility has been in constant use by Sailability since 2000 with strong support from Rotary and local businesses.

Sailability New South Wales is one of eight state or territory organizations under the umbrella of Sailability Australia. Sailability Australia is represented within Yachting Australia by a committee chaired by former YA President Bruce DICKSON and is part of the worldwide Sailability organization. In NSW alone, there are 23 Sailability branches, each running regular sailing days. NSW Patron is David ADAMS. Sailability NSW is a member of Yachting NSW.

Tom Burton (AUS) and Alison Young (GBR) hit the right note in the Laser and Laser Radial at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as they took out the top honours and qualification spots to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.

It was double Australian gold in the Paralympic classes. Matt Bugg (AUS) came out on top in the 2.4mR whilst London 2012 Paralympic SKUD18 gold medallists Dan Fitzgibbon and Liesl Tesch (AUS) were triumphant in the two person keelboat.

Lithuania's Juozas Bernotas came out on top in the Men's RS:X whilst Russia's Stefania Elfutina was triumphant in the Women's RS:X. Both sailors claim the first Abu Dhabi ISAF Sailing World Cup Final spots whilst Jock Calvert (AUS) and Joanna Sterling (AUS) picked up the Oceanic spots for the Emirati finale.

There was some fast paced action in the 49er and 49erFX Medal Races at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen (AUS) and Maia & Ragna Agerup (NOR) claimed the honours and Abu Dhabi final spots.

A tight group of five young Papua New Guinean (PNG) Laser sailors are stepping up their 2015 Pacific Games competition program using this week's ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. PNG is one of 33 countries represented at the important Oceanic event, the largest Olympic sailing regatta in the southern hemisphere.

Melbourne, Australia will host the final Rio 2016 Paralympic Games qualification regatta in 2015. With just under one year until the event, the 2015 IFDS Worlds was launched at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne kick starts the journey to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates with qualification spots and top ranking points available in the Australian city.

Four boats in the Volvo Ocean Race celebrated rounding the venerated landmark of Cape Horn on Monday, a pleasure cruelly denied Dongfeng Race Team (Charles Caudrelier/FRA) after the Chinese boat's mast was broken early in a dramatic day on Leg 5.

The wind played dirty tricks all day in Palma on the sailors and race committees who had to juggle with big shifts and different pressure. From 4 to 20 knots, and reaching 40 in some gusts, the wind turned around the bay playing with everybody's nerves.

Ghosting across the line in the inky blackness of a Mediterranean spring night, finally slicing through the finish line set on the very waters where some 40 odd years ago he cut his teeth as a young, aspiring sailor harbouring great dreams, at 01:47:00hrs local time Guillermo Altadill and his talented, ever reliable Chilean co-skipper Jose Muñoz secured second placed in this third edition of the Barcelona World Race, the round the world race for two crew which left the Catalan capital on December 31st 2014.

Algoa Bay brought lighter conditions on Sunday, and after a postponement waiting for the wind to settle, the race got underway in 7 knots of breeze from the south-east. Ted Conrads and Brian Haines from the USA were the pathfinders, and opened up the gate for the fleet as they sailed out to the right-hand side of the course.